Deno Deploy

This skill provides guidance for deploying applications to Deno Deploy.

IMPORTANT: Use deno deploy, NOT deployctl

Always use the deno deploy command. Do NOT use deployctl.

• •deployctl is for Deno Deploy Classic (deprecated)
• •deno deploy is the modern, integrated command built into the Deno CLI
• •If you find yourself reaching for deployctl, stop and use deno deploy instead
• •Requires Deno >= 2.4.2 - the deno deploy subcommand was introduced in Deno 2.4

Agent Workflow Guide

When a user asks to deploy to Deno Deploy, follow this decision tree:

Step 0: Locate the App Directory (ALWAYS DO THIS FIRST)

Before running any checks, find where the Deno app is located:

# Check if deno.json exists in current directory
if [ -f "deno.json" ] || [ -f "deno.jsonc" ]; then
  echo "APP_DIR: $(pwd)"
else
  # Look for deno.json in immediate subdirectories
  find . -maxdepth 2 -name "deno.json" -o -name "deno.jsonc" 2>/dev/null | head -5
fi

Decision:

• •If deno.json is in the current directory → use current directory
• •If deno.json found in a subdirectory → use that subdirectory (if multiple found, ask user which one)
• •If no deno.json found → ask user where their app is located

All subsequent commands must run from the app directory. Either cd to it or use absolute paths.

Step 1: Pre-Flight Checks (RUN FROM APP DIRECTORY)

CRITICAL: Run these checks BEFORE attempting any deno deploy commands. Many deploy CLI commands (including deno deploy orgs) fail without an org already configured - you cannot discover orgs via CLI.

# Check Deno version
deno --version | head -1

# Check for existing deploy config WITH org
grep -E '"org"|"app"' deno.json deno.jsonc 2>/dev/null || echo "NO_DEPLOY_CONFIG"

# Detect framework
if [ -d "islands" ] || [ -f "fresh.config.ts" ]; then echo "Framework: Fresh"; \
elif [ -f "astro.config.mjs" ] || [ -f "astro.config.ts" ]; then echo "Framework: Astro"; \
elif [ -f "next.config.js" ] || [ -f "next.config.mjs" ]; then echo "Framework: Next.js"; \
elif [ -f "nuxt.config.ts" ]; then echo "Framework: Nuxt"; \
elif [ -f "remix.config.js" ]; then echo "Framework: Remix"; \
elif [ -f "svelte.config.js" ]; then echo "Framework: SvelteKit"; \
elif [ -f "_config.ts" ]; then echo "Framework: Lume (check imports)"; \
else echo "Framework: Custom/Unknown"; fi

Step 2: Route Based on State (FROM APP DIRECTORY)

If deploy.org AND deploy.app exist in config:

1. •Run framework-specific build command (see Framework Deployment section)
2. •Deploy: deno deploy --prod
3. •Parse output for deployment URL

If NO deploy config exists (no org/app found):

⚠️ DO NOT run deno deploy or deno deploy orgs - they will fail with "No organization was selected" error.

First, ask the user for their org name:

"What is your Deno Deploy organization name? You can find it by visiting https://console.deno.com - look at the URL, it will be something like console.deno.com/YOUR-ORG-NAME. For personal accounts, this is usually your username."

Once you have the org name, run the create command yourself:

1. •Warn the user first: "I'm going to create the app now. A browser window will open - please complete the app creation there."
2. •Run: deno deploy create --org <ORG_NAME>
3. •The command will wait for browser completion, then auto-deploy to production

After the command completes, verify:

grep -E '"org"|"app"' deno.json deno.jsonc

Step 3: Handle Common Errors

Commands That Fail Without Org Context

These commands will error if no org is configured - do not try them to "discover" orgs:

• •deno deploy (without --org flag)
• •deno deploy orgs
• •deno deploy switch
• •deno deploy env list
• •deno deploy logs

Authentication

Interactive Authentication (Default)

The first time you run deno deploy, it will open a browser for authentication:

deno deploy
# Opens: https://console.deno.com/auth?code=XXXX-XXXX

Important - Browser Device Authorization Flow:

• •The CLI opens your browser and waits for you to complete authentication
• •You MUST complete the authorization in your browser before the CLI can continue
• •The CLI will NOT proceed automatically - it waits until you finish
• •Credentials are stored in your system keyring after successful auth

For Claude: When running deno deploy commands, prompt the user:

"Please complete the authorization in your browser, then let me know when you're done."

Non-Interactive Authentication (CI/CD & Automation)

To deploy without browser interaction (for CI/CD pipelines or automated workflows):

1. •

   Create a Deploy Token in the web UI:

   • •Visit https://console.deno.com/account/access-tokens
   • •Click "New Access Token"
   • •Give it a descriptive name (e.g., "GitHub Actions CI")
   • •Copy the token immediately (shown only once)
2. •

   Use the token:

   bash

   # Option 1: Environment variable (recommended for CI/CD)
   export DENO_DEPLOY_TOKEN="your-token-here"
   deno deploy --prod
   
   # Option 2: Inline flag (for one-off commands)
   deno deploy --token "your-token-here" --prod
   

3. •

   For GitHub Actions:

   yaml

   - name: Deploy to Deno Deploy
     env:
       DENO_DEPLOY_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.DENO_DEPLOY_TOKEN }}
     run: deno deploy --prod
   

For Claude: If the user wants fully automated deploys without browser prompts, ask:

"Do you have a Deno Deploy access token set up? If not, you can create one at https://console.deno.com/account/access-tokens, then set it as the DENO_DEPLOY_TOKEN environment variable."

First-Time Setup & Organization

Finding Your Organization Name

The Deno Deploy CLI requires an organization context for most operations. To find your org name:

1. •Visit https://console.deno.com
2. •Your org is in the URL: console.deno.com/YOUR-ORG-NAME

Note: Commands like deno deploy orgs and deno deploy switch require an existing org context to work - this is a CLI limitation. Always find your org name from the console URL first.

Setting Up Your First App

Before creating: Check if an app already exists by looking for a deploy key in deno.json:

cat deno.json | grep -A5 '"deploy"'

If no deploy config exists, create an app:

deno deploy create --org your-org-name

This opens a browser to create the app. Important:

• •Complete the app creation in your browser
• •The CLI waits until you finish - it won't proceed automatically
• •The app name becomes your URL: <app-name>.deno.dev

For Claude: Prompt the user:

"Please complete the app creation in your browser, then let me know when done."

Verifying Success: The CLI output may not clearly indicate success. After the user confirms completion, verify by checking deno.json:

cat deno.json | grep -A5 '"deploy"'

You should see output like:

"deploy": {
  "org": "your-org-name",
  "app": "your-app-name"
}

If the deploy key exists with org and app values, the app was created successfully.

Creating an App

Before your first deployment, create an app:

deno deploy create --org <organization-name>

This opens a browser to create the app in the Deno Deploy console. The app name becomes your URL: <app-name>.deno.dev

Note: The create command does NOT accept --prod. Use --prod only with deno deploy (the deploy command itself).

Interactive Commands (Run in User's Terminal)

Some deno deploy commands are interactive and cannot be run through Claude's Bash tool. For these, ask the user to run them in their own terminal:

Switching Organizations/Apps

deno deploy switch

This opens an interactive menu to select org and app. Claude cannot run this - ask the user:

"Please run deno deploy switch in your terminal to select your organization and app. Let me know when you've completed the selection."

Alternative: Use Explicit Flags

Instead of interactive selection, specify org/app directly:

deno deploy --org your-org-name --app your-app-name --prod

This bypasses the interactive flow and works through Claude.

Deploying

Production Deployment

deno deploy --prod

Verifying Deployment Success: The CLI output can be verbose. Look for these indicators of success:

• •A URL containing .deno.dev or .deno.net - this is your live deployment
• •A console URL like https://console.deno.com/<org>/<app>/builds/<id>
• •The command exits with code 0 (no error)

After deployment, confirm success by extracting the production URL from the output. The format is typically: https://<app-name>.<org>.deno.net or https://<app-name>.deno.dev

Preview Deployment

deno deploy

Preview deployments create a unique URL for testing without affecting production.

Targeting Specific Apps

deno deploy --org my-org --app my-app --prod

Specifying an Entrypoint

If Deno Deploy can't find your main file:

deno deploy --entrypoint main.ts --prod

Or add to deno.json:

{
  "deploy": {
    "entrypoint": "main.ts"
  }
}

Static Site Deployment

For static sites (Lume, Vite builds, etc.), you have two options:

Option 1: Direct Directory Deployment

Point Deno Deploy at your built directory. Configure in deno.json:

{
  "deploy": {
    "entrypoint": "main.ts",
    "include": ["_site"]
  }
}

Option 2: Custom Server Wrapper

Only needed if you want custom routing, headers, or logic:

// serve.ts
import { serveDir } from "jsr:@std/http/file-server";

Deno.serve((req) =>
  serveDir(req, {
    fsRoot: "_site",
    quiet: true,
  })
);

Then deploy with:

deno deploy --entrypoint serve.ts --prod

Environment Variables

Add a Variable

deno deploy env add DATABASE_URL "postgres://..."

List Variables

deno deploy env list

Delete a Variable

deno deploy env delete DATABASE_URL

Load from .env File

deno deploy env load .env.production

Control Variable Contexts

Variables can apply to different environments:

# Set which contexts a variable applies to
deno deploy env update-contexts API_KEY Production Preview

Available contexts: Production, Preview, Local, Build

Viewing Logs

Stream Live Logs

deno deploy logs

Filter by Date Range

deno deploy logs --start 2026-01-15 --end 2026-01-16

Cloud Integrations

AWS Integration

deno deploy setup-aws --org my-org --app my-app

GCP Integration

deno deploy setup-gcp --org my-org --app my-app

Framework-Specific Deployment

Deno Deploy supports multiple frameworks. The CLI auto-detects your framework and configures the build appropriately.

Supported Frameworks

Fresh (Deno-Native)

deno task build
deno deploy --prod

Astro

# If using npm
npm run build
deno deploy --prod

# If using Deno tasks
deno task build
deno deploy --prod

Next.js

Next.js requires Node.js compatibility mode:

1. •

   Ensure deno.json has:

   json

   {
     "nodeModulesDir": "auto"
   }
   

2. •

   Build and deploy:

   bash

   npm install
   npm run build
   deno deploy --prod --allow-node-modules
   

Nuxt / Remix / SvelteKit / SolidStart

These npm-based frameworks follow a similar pattern:

npm install
npm run build
deno deploy --prod

If you encounter issues with node_modules:

deno deploy --prod --allow-node-modules

Lume (Static Sites)

deno task build
deno deploy --prod

Custom / No Framework

For custom servers or apps without a recognized framework:

1. •Ensure you have an entrypoint (e.g., main.ts, server.ts)
2. •Deploy directly:
   bash

   deno deploy --entrypoint main.ts --prod
   

Command Reference

Common Issues

"No organization was selected"

This error occurs because the CLI needs an organization context. Unfortunately, commands like deno deploy orgs also fail without this context.

Solution:

1. •

   Find your org name manually: Visit https://console.deno.com - your org is in the URL path (e.g., console.deno.com/donjo means org is donjo)

2. •

   Specify org explicitly:

   bash

   deno deploy --org your-org-name --prod
   

3. •

   Or create an app with org:

   bash

   deno deploy create --org your-org-name
   # Complete the browser flow when prompted
   

For Claude: When you see this error, ask the user:

"What is your Deno Deploy organization name? You can find it by visiting console.deno.com - look at the URL, it will be something like console.deno.com/your-org-name."

"No entrypoint found"

Specify your entry file:

deno deploy --entrypoint main.ts --prod

Or add to deno.json:

{
  "deploy": {
    "entrypoint": "main.ts"
  }
}

Fresh "Build required" Error

Fresh 2.0 requires building before deployment:

deno task build
deno deploy --prod

Environment Variable Errors

Check what's currently set:

deno deploy env list

Add missing variables:

deno deploy env add MISSING_VAR "value"

Edge Runtime Notes

Deno Deploy runs on the edge (globally distributed). Keep in mind:

• •No persistent filesystem - Use Deno KV for storage
• •Environment variables - Must be set via deno deploy env, not .env files at runtime
• •Global distribution - Code runs at the edge closest to users
• •Cold starts - First request after idle may be slightly slower

Documentation

• •Official docs: https://docs.deno.com/deploy/
• •CLI reference: https://docs.deno.com/runtime/reference/cli/deploy/